Department for Transport

M4

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the total overall cost of the planned M4 relief road south of Newport, and what funding they will provide, if any, for that project.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Department for Transport (DfT) is in regular contact with the devolved governments in both Scotland and Wales to discuss strategic matters and to co-operate on cross border roads. In this case, the M4 relief road south of Newport is entirely a matter for the Welsh Assembly and DfT have made no assessment of the scheme.

M11: Litter

Lord Mawson: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when litter was last removed from the southern end of the M11 in East London, how often such litter is removed, and by whom.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The last time that litter was removed from the southern end of the M11 in East London was 17 March 2016. Highways England clears litter from the M11 on a daily basis, on the sections where it safe to do so, without using traffic lanes, such as the verges with hard shoulders. The M11 slip roads and verges with no hard shoulder are litter picked on a six weekly cycle with lanes closed to protect the work force.

Department for Communities and Local Government

Building Regulations

Lord Stunell: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they propose to publish the next biennial review of progress in sustainable building regulations required by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government will publish the next biennial review of progress in sustainable Building Regulations in early 2017, as required by the Sustainable and Secure Buildings Act 2004.

Council Housing: Subsidies

Lord Kennedy of Southwark: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the level of subsidy from the public purse provided for council housing.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: Local housing authorities do not receive subsidy from the Exchequer; the Localism Act 2011 abolished Housing Revenue Account Subsidy.The Housing Revenue Account Self-Financing Determinations published in 2012 provided a once and for all settlement that allows local housing authorities in England to keep all their rental income in return for a rebalancing of housing debt.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Crown Dependencies: UK Membership of EU

Lord Luce: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the consequences for the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man of the UK's withdrawal from the EU, and what action they plan to take to protect the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man in the event of such a withdrawal.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man have a special relationship with the EU, provided under Protocol 3 to the UK’s Treaty of Accession to the European Community. The procedure governing a country’s departure from the EU is set out in Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union. This provides for a period of two years for the negotiation of exit terms. After two years, the departing Member State is deemed to have left the EU, meaning that both the rights and the obligations that derive from membership would lapse. This two year deadline can be extended, but only by unanimous agreement of all EU Member States.At the February European Council the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the UK special status in a reformed EU. The Government's position, as set out by the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), to the House of Commons on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

Northern Ireland Office

Belfast Agreement

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they define "parity of esteem" as specified in the Belfast Agreement 1998, and which is applicable to all who live in the UK.

Lord Dunlop: This Government sees parity of esteem as treating everybody in Northern Ireland fairly, with equal respect. For a One Nation Government that means governing in the interests of the whole community. As our Northern Ireland manifesto at the General Election stated: “We want to see a peaceful, stable and prosperous Northern Ireland where everybody can get on to the best of their ability – irrespective of their community background”. It went on to say that “Our aspiration is to build one, united Northern Ireland in which everybody has a stake in the future”.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

BBC: Royal Charters

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the BBC's Royal Charter should be for at least 10 years.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether the BBC new board members should (1) be appointed without ministerial influence, and (2) include audience and staff representatives.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for the BBC's service licences being reviewed and strengthened by an independent regulator at an early date.

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for maintaining the scale and scope of the BBC's coverage on all platforms.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: These issues are being considered as part of Charter Review. The Government will set out its proposals in the forthcoming White Paper.

Television: Licensing

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the appropriate level for the BBC licence fee and of the case for that level being recommended by an independent regulator.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The BBC Charter Review Consultation Paper, published in July 2015, set out the issues for consideration in Charter Review, including questions about how the BBC is funded. The Government will set out its proposals in the forthcoming White Paper, but remains clear that the licence fee is a tax and therefore should ultimately be decided by Ministers. The level of the licence fee will be agreed once questions on the BBC's scope and purposes, have been agreed.

Athletics: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, prior to hosting the World Athletics Championships in London 2017, they intend to introduce legislation to criminalise athletes who seek to enhance their performance in sport through banned doping programmes and gain selection over other athletes who do not.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The case for criminalisation is currently being reviewed by the department.

UK Anti-doping

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of whether UK Anti-Doping has adequate medical, administrative and financial resources to undertake international programmes for third-party countries, including a testing programme in Russia, whilst providing a comprehensive anti-doping programme in the UK.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The payments that UK Anti-Doping receives from third party countries ensures the UK's anti-doping programme is not compromised by its international work.

Olympic Games: Brazil

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they are on track to deliver their manifesto commitment to win more medals in Rio 2016 than in London 2012, and what progress is being made in preparations to deliver that commitment, broken down by sport.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 24 March 2016.The correct answer should have been:

We want our sportsmen and women to win even more medals in Rio than they did in London 2012. That is why we continue to support elite sports funding, and why we secured an excellent settlement in the latest Autumn Statement - that will build on our Olympic and Paralympic success at the London Games 2012, and ensure we compete with the top nations in Tokyo 2020 and beyond. Whilst the ambition of winning more Olympic medals in Rio than London remains possible, the current evidence from UK Sport shows that it is highly probable Great Britain and Northern Ireland will have the best ever Olympic medal haul at an “away” Games. UK Sport analysis also indicates that despite an ever more competitive landscape the Paralympic team is set to win more medals than in 2012. UK Sport will publish agreed medal targets for Rio 2016 on a sport by sport basis in July.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: We want our sportsmen and women to win even more medals in Rio than they did in London 2012. That is why we continue to support elite sports funding, and why we secured an excellent settlement in the latest Autumn Statement - that will build on our Olympic and Paralympic success at the London Games 2012, and ensure we compete with the top nations in Tokyo 2020 and beyond. Whilst the ambition of winning more Olympic medals in Rio than London remains possible, the current evidence from UK Sport shows that it is highly probable Great Britain and Northern Ireland will have the best ever Olympic medal haul at an “away” Games. UK Sport analysis also indicates that despite an ever more competitive landscape the Paralympic team is set to win more medals than in 2012. UK Sport will publish agreed medal targets for Rio 2016 on a sport by sport basis in July.

Sports: Drugs

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have sought legal advice on whether the "Whereabouts" system operated by UK Anti-Doping during vacations taken by professional athletes meets the conditions of the EU Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC).

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Working Time Directive is a matter for employers. The UK Anti-Doping is not an employer of athletes.`

Sports: Governing Bodies

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the current proportion of women on the Board of the British Olympic Association and on each winter and summer British governing body of sport represented in the Olympic and Paralympic movement, and how they intend to achieve their declared objective of requiring the proportion of women on each governing body to be at least 25 per cent by 2017.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The government’s recently published sport strategy ‘Sporting Future: A New Strategy for an Active Nation’ states that UK Sport and Sport England, along with the other Home Nations' Sports Councils, will agree a new UK Sports Governance Code by September 2016 to strengthen existing commitments, including the ambition for all sports’ boards to have at least 25% female representation by 2017. UK Sport and Sport England are already working with funded NGBs and partners to ensure best practice is adhered to when constructing job descriptions and writing adverts, and are working with expert organisations such as Sporting Equals and Women in Sport to ensure a more diverse range of people are aware of vacancies within the sector as they arise.

Ministry of Defence

Navy: Finance

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration was given in the Budget to the commitment made by the Prime Minister, when introducing the Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, that there would be a bigger navy by 2030.

Earl Howe: Government commitments to maintain defence spending above the NATO target of 2 per cent of GDP, and to increase the defence budget by 0.5 per cent above inflation each year until 2020-21 were unchanged by the Budget. We will publish our national shipbuilding strategy later this year, which will lay the foundations for a modern and efficient sector capable of meeting the UK’s future defence and security needs. Furthermore, as announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, we intend to launch a concept study to design and build a new class of lighter, flexible, and exportable frigate so that by the 2030s we can further increase our total number of frigates and destroyers.

Home Office

Asylum: Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many asylum seekers were deported from the United Kingdom in (1) 1990, (2) 2000, (3) 2010, and (4) 2014, on reaching the age of 18.

Lord Bates: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 October 2015.The correct answer should have been:

The Home Office does not keep electronic records on removals going as far back as 2000. Records of removals on the Immigration Database only go back to 2006. In 2010, 132 778 failed asylum seekers were removed after reaching the age of 18. In 2014, 151 445 failed asylum seekers were removed after reaching the age of 18.

Lord Bates: The Home Office does not keep electronic records on removals going as far back as 2000. Records of removals on the Immigration Database only go back to 2006. In 2010, 132 778 failed asylum seekers were removed after reaching the age of 18. In 2014, 151 445 failed asylum seekers were removed after reaching the age of 18.

Police: Reform

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what are the terms of reference of the Police Reform Group; when it was established; what is its composition; and whether it is in receipt of public funds.

Lord Bates: The Police Reform and Transformation Board is a non-statutory governance board which first met on 23 February 2016. It has been established and supported by the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC) and National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) to provide strategic oversight and impetus to police transformation.Funding of the Board is a matter for the NPCC and APCC. Further information is available from the APCC and NPCC http://news.npcc.police.uk/releases/new-board-set-up-to-oversee-further-police-reform



2nd Copy - New Reform - Police Board 
(PDF Document, 585.69 KB)

Scotland Office

Sunday Trading: Scotland

Baroness Mobarik: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have received any clarification from the Scottish Government as to how the relaxation of Sunday trading laws in England and Wales would negatively affect Scotland, and if not, when they expect to receive that clarification.

Lord Dunlop: In view of the will of the House of Commons, we are no longer proposing to give local authorities the ability to extend the Sunday trading hours of large shops.

Department for Energy and Climate Change

Electricity Generation

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of (1) the completion date, and (2) the impact on electricity sale prices, of (a) the Swansea Lagoon project, and (b) the Hinkley Point nuclear power station.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: EDF have said that they expect Hinkley Point C to start generating electricity in 2025. Hinkley Point C is a good deal for everyone including consumers – Hinkley would provide reliable energy at an affordable cost, powering nearly six million homes for around 60 years and creating more than 25,000 jobs. The negotiations regarding a Contract for Difference for the proposed Swansea Bay lagoon remain ongoing. On 10 February, the Government announced an independent review to consider alternatives approaches to financing tidal lagoons, providing an evidence base to ensuring decisions are taken in the best interest of bill-payers.

Cabinet Office

Immigration

Lord Renwick of Clifton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of any discrepancy between the net migration numbers and the number of EU citizens registering for the first time for National Insurance in the UK.

Lord Bridges of Headley: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.



Referral Letter
(PDF Document, 148.51 KB)

Department of Health

Human Embryo Experiments

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Prior of Brampton on 14 February (HL6504), who made the decision; whether it was approved by members of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) by a vote; and when the last lay summary for an embryo research licence application was on the "awaiting approval" section of the HFEA website.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it cannot confirm who decided the change in practice. This was an operational decision and not subject to a vote of Authority members. The last lay summary of an embryo research licence application on the HFEA website was research licence 0188 which was approved in May 2012.

Stem Cells

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Darzi of Denham on 13 October 2008 (WA 35), by Lord Drayson on 5 May 2009 (WA 95–6), by Earl Howe on 31 March 2011 (WA 298–9) and by Lord Prior of Brampton on 3 March (HL6226), whether it is still a condition of any licence granted by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) that a sample of the stem cell lines derived must be deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank; if so, whether a sample of any stem cell lines derived following either nuclear transfer or pronuclear transfer have ever been so deposited; and if not, why the HFEA has continued to permit the use of nuclear transfer under licence R0152 when the stated objectives of "therapeutic cloning" remain unmet almost twelve years after the relevant licence was initially granted.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) has advised that it is a condition of all research licences that a sample of the cell line is deposited in the UK Stem Cell Bank (UKSCB), in accordance with Research Licence Condition R30. Stem cells are not accepted by UKSCB until they are fully characterised and cultured to ensure uniform characteristics. As detailed in the HFEA’s May 2014 inspection report for research project R0152, Towards improving assisted reproductive technologies for the treatment of infertility and prevention of disease, the HFEA has also advised that a number of research grade embryonic stem cell (ESC) lines have been generated through that research and in line with the licence. These have been deposited at the UKSCB. One ESC line in compliance with the current standards for clinical grade ESC lines has also been produced; this is currently undergoing a due diligence process in preparation for depositing with the UKSCB. A copy of the report is attached.   



HFEA Newcastle Inspection Report
(PDF Document, 718.55 KB)

NHS: Research

Lord Turnberg: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have assessed the plans of NHS England for provision of mandated research in the NHS.

Lord Prior of Brampton: The Department of Health formally holds NHS England to account on its delivery against the research objective in the NHS Mandate, a process which will be rolled forward during 2016/7. Progress has been made in the areas of participation of National Health Service organisations in research, with 98% of NHS trusts recruited into National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network Portfolio studies during the course of 2014/15, and 78% of NHS trusts recruiting to commercial contract studies in the same year. In addition, recruitment of participants into such studies increased in 2014/15 compared to the previous year to 618,453 participants. Recruitment into commercial contract studies is at an all-time high, with 34,885 participants in 2014/15; a 35% increase from 2013/14.